The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-01-30
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Overcome by Too Much Tail-Help Me
Let This Hog Go.

President Lincoln was fond of impressing
point or illustrating his opinion or desire
through the medium of a story When Cen
Grant was appointed lieutenant general the
president called him aside TO speak TO him
privately: and after brief reference TO the
military situation he said he could best Illus
trate what he wanted 10 say by story which
he related. The anecdote IS in Grants own
words and was contributed by Col. Fred.
Grant to Mr. Allen Thondil;e Rices "Bem-
inscences of Abraham Lincoln, by Distin-
gushed Men of His Time" The president
said: "At one time there was a great war
among the animals, and one side had great
difficulty in getting a commander who had
sufficient confidence in himself Finally they
found monkey, of tie name OF Jocho, who
said he thought he could command their
army if his tail could be made a litCle longer.
So they got more tail and spliced it on to his
caudal appendage. He looked at it admir-
ingly and then thought he ought to have a
little more still This was added, ana again
he called for more Tho splicing process was
repeated many times, until they had coied
Jockos tail around the room, filing all the
space Still be called for more tail, and,
there being no other place to coil it, they be
gan wrapping it around his shoulders. lie
continued his call for more and they kept on
winding the additional tail about him until
finally its own weight broke him down
Gen. Grant saw the point, and, rising from
his chair, replied: Mr. President, / will not
call for more assistance unless / find 1t I'M
possible to do with the forces already have. "
He used the same means likewise to give
vent to his deepest feelings. Alr. Rice gives
an anecdote related by Ex-Governor Curtin,
war governor of Pennsylvania, which con-
tans striking instance Of this kind. Gov
ernor Curtin had returned from the battle OF
Fredericksburg, and Described 1t 10 the presl-
dent as rather butchery than fight The
account of the horrors he had witnessed threw
the president into a state of nervous excite
ment, and Gov. Curtin, in taking his leave oil
the sorrowful executive, said: II trust mat
ters will look brighter when the official re
ports come in" and then he added, I'M
pulsively: 81 would give all possess to know
how TO rescue you from this terrible war"
Immediately the presidents manner
changed, and he relieved his mind by telling
the following story:
"This reminds me-" he said, "of an old
farmer out in Illinois that | used to know.
He took it into his head to so into hog raising.
He sent over to Europe and imported the finest
breed Of hogs he could buy. The prize hoG
was put in pen, and the farmers two mis-
chievous boys, James and John, were told to
be sure not to let him out. But james, the
worse of the two, let the brute out the next
day. The hog went straight for the boys,
and drove John up tree. Then 1t went Tor
the seat of James trousers, and the only way
he could save himself was by holding on to
the hogs tail. The hog would not give UP
his hunt nor the boy his hold. After they
had made good many circles around the
tree, the boys courage began to give out, and
he shouted to his brother: i say, John, come
down quick and help me let this hog go
Now, governor that is exactly my case. /
wish some one would come and help me let
this hog go!'